The Malawi Police Service in the central district of Kasungu have arrested five men alleged agents of human trafficking after their bus was intercepted suspicion that was trafficking 87 Malawians from Mzimba district to South Africa.
Edwin Kaunda, Kasungu Police Public Relations Officer confirmed the development to the Maravi Post in an exclusive interview on Tuesday June 30, 2015 that the five men’s vehicle registration number NA 2879 on Saturday, June 27, 2015 carried 87 Malawians to the rainbow nation for various jobs.
The Kasungu Police Publicist said on wee hours of this day police officers were on patrols on Kasungu Main Road therefore upon realized that the traffickers diverted the bus to nearby village, Linga to offload the passengers as it exceeded seating capacity which surprised the villagers as the people in the bus were strangers which later then alerted the police.
“We rushed to the scene but upon enquiring of their about, they told the police that the alleged five men were responsible their tour to South Africa. Surprisingly 22 people out of 87 (46 men and 41 women) had their passports stamped showing that were already in South Africa which we concluded that it was a human trafficking syndicate then were arrested.
“We freed the people to go back home that if they want to go to South Africa must arrange their own trip not through this way. The five are expecting to appear before court Tuesday afternoon, June 30, 2015 to answer charges on human trafficking contrary to Section 257 of the Penal Code”, explains Kaunda.
The Kasungu Police have identified the alleged traffickers as Jonathan Beza, 45, Watson Tonga, 28, Happy Jere, 30, Stuart Masambo, 39 and Gibson Tembo 37 year old.
This is a surprising development looking at the spate of the recent xenophobic attack which claimed about five Malawians lives with over 3500 returned home after surviving the attack.
